Meaning & use
amaze
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Meaning
verbtransitive
To fill someone with great surprise or wonder.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'The trick amazed the audience.' Often used in the passive: 'I was amazed by the result.'
Patterns
- amaze someone
- it amazes someone that ...
- be amazed at/by something
The magician's final trick amazed everyone in the room.
It amazes me that she can speak five languages fluently.
We were amazed by the size of the ancient tree.
Word forms
| third person singular | amazes |
|---|---|
| past tense | amazed |
| past participle | amazed |
| -ing form | amazing |
Common combinations
- amaze someone with something
- She amazed the judges with her piano solo.
- be amazed at
- I was amazed at how quickly the team finished the project.
- be amazed by
- The tourists were amazed by the view from the mountain.
- it amazes me that
- It amazes me that he never forgets a name.
Synonyms and how they differ
- astonish
- Very similar, but often suggests a stronger, more shocking surprise; 'amaze' can also suggest wonder.
- surprise
- A more general word; 'amaze' implies a much greater degree of surprise.
- astound
- Stronger and more formal than 'amaze'; often used for overwhelming surprise.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: amaze or amuse?
amaze vs amuse
To amuse is to make someone laugh or keep them entertained; to amaze is to surprise them greatly.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'amaze' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Amaze' is transitive and takes an object: 'amazed us'. Option B needs 'was amazed at'; option C should be 'amazed by'; option D needs 'were amazed to see'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “amaze”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.